Postgame: Love wins for best rebounder in a supporting role

Blog Post by: Jerry Zgoda

February 27, 2012 - 6:40 AM

And so, it's now back to work for Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio and Derrick Williams.

And on to L.A.

Kevin Love completed the Wolves' triple play at All Star weekend with a 17-point, 7-rebound performance that included back-to-back threes in Sunday night's All Star Game that the West won 152-149 in a tense finish after it had led by 20 early in the fourth quarter.

Here's Love talking about the evening and the tuxedo he rocked because, he said, it was Oscar night.

Love shipped his three-point contest trophy home to Target Center right after winning it Saturday night and then caught a small private jet he chartered for family and friends out for L.A. after the game.

Rubio and Williams are shlubbing it to the West Coast by commercial flights, just like a certain intrepid reporter you might know.

Their teammates are gathering back in Minneapolis this morning after a long weekend away and will fly to L.A. this afternoon in time for a 5 p.m. Pacific time as they prepare for a four-game Western trip.

That trip includes three games in three nights, starting Tuesday against the Clippers.

They play the Lakers Wednesday and at Phoenix on Thursday against a Suns team that will be playing its first game back after the break while the Wolves will be finishing their last of two back-to-back-to-back stretches in this demanding season.

We'll see if Michael Beasley is still with the team by then and if the Wolves can get themselves involved in brokering a big trade that will send Dwight Howard away from Orlando and possibly to L.A. in a deal that presumably would bring Pau Gasol to the Wolves and his pal Rubio.

A Beasley trade -- which could be part of a bigger deal -- is quite probable, given it's better to get something than nothing if they decide not to pursue re-signing him this summer.

Given his role lately, that pursuit seems unlikely.

A Gasol deal doesn't make sense to me, simply because you'd be investing so much -- assuming his huge $18 million plus salary and likely dealing away No. 2 pick Williams -- for a big man when they already have Love and Nikola Pekovic.

Wouldn't that investment be better placed in a wing player who can actually handle the ball, defend and shoot?

I'll check back with you when I get to L.A. after a 5 1/2 hour flight from Orlando.